Friday, March 09, 2012

After reading this story (here) of a white-haired baby abandoned in China, I was genetically-curious (again) about Asians with blue-eyes, but also with blonde hair. I found the little darling girls pictured here. It did not hit me that the one might present albinism, as her skin is not so obviously missing pigment. So, instead of guessing what could be going on, which I resist, I asked a geneticist at Stanford Medical School. (here)

I received a quick response. "Off the top of my head the likeliest explanations are mixed ancestry or albinism. Asians with albinism often have blonde hair and blue eyes but their skin isn't quite as light as a Caucasian with albinism. Another possibility is that the child is of mixed race. And this doesn't have to be a parent who is Caucasian, it could be a more distant relative. Sometimes the hair and eyes will darken later in life in these cases." The Tech Geneticist

So there you have it. The Stanford site has a bunch of questions and answers about genetics from people world-wide. Very interesting and informative.

18 comments:

I have a couple at my job who adopted a Chinese baby - she is five years old now and also has albinism. I find albino anything to be beautifully stunning. She is vision impaired, but is already battling with the social norms of what beauty is supposed to be. I find it so disheartening that at her age, despite having a loving family - she still feels isolated in her own skin. She has white hair and purple eyes, and I am absolutely fascinated with her. I appreciated this post for shedding more light on this not so uncommon issue...

The baby on the right looks like she could have Waardenburg syndrome. Both babies are absolutely beautiful. However, I'm surprised the geneticist didn't mention Waardenburg syndrome to you. If you google Waardenburg a lot of links to more information come up.

@Anon 3:04, The geneticist likely did not mention Waardenburg's because neither child shows any confirming characteristics - and eyes alone are not enough. Also, the child on the right, who appears older, does not exhibit dystopia canthorum (eye socket displacement) that often accompanies blue eyes in Waardenburg's. If you read my other postings on blue eyes you will see quite a bit about the subject.

I don't know why, but lots of asians want to look like caucasians and they even use some special make-up stuff, including the eyelid tapes (http://www.eyelidtapes.com/) that are rather inconvenient to wear, at least I think so.

^ just because asians wear eyelid tape or dye their hair doesn't mean they want to look like Caucasians, they just want to be a little different, from the other asians. I mean, I'm Asian and I have natural double eyelids and I wear that 'special make up stuff' which is basically eyeliner and foundation/bb cream. Does Caucasians also wear that 'special make up stuff' as well ? :P

I am Italian with blue eyes and blond hair. There are a lot of these people around the Mediterrenean because of a lot of mixing in the past centuries. But my sisters have typical dark hair and brown eyes. It is the magic of mankind genetics.

@Anon7:48, albinism is but one (most common) way for blacks to have blue eyes. N.Europeans more commonly get them through a recessive eye color gene. Exclusion is not written anywhere. Rarities and ignorance often conspire.

The reason why the idea that your Dark-colored or Asian together with violet face men and women state albinism. Consequently Autism Caregiver may this specific necessarily mean many whitened together with violet face also have albinism?

She would have to battle with the social norms of everything even if she did not have albinism simply because she was adopted by another race. She would feel isolated even if she had black hair and eyes. Why does no one care that when a baby of one race is adopted by another race, it's just another form of racism-taking away someone's culture and racial identity so the adults can have a "baby". Remember the time they'd make blacks speak, dress, and act white or else? It's the same thing just a different approach. When people from other races come themselves, it's different because at least they have their own family to identify with and it was their own choice. Every time I brought the subject up to a black person who is either a friend or coworker, they understand, but whites just make excuses and just about kill me because they know I'm telling the truth. Nothing anyone can say can change reality.

The Caucasians ethnicity (I don't say race)have evolved adaptive traits like any other ethnics group, Caucasian had to get rid of protective filters again UV rays (Melamine) to adapt to colder and less sunny places in the north. Also, to be white like snow is a good camouflage against predators, and long hair and body hairs is good to keep warm. There is not superiority is just adaptive traits.

But those traits are actually mutation of the original ethnic group, "Africans", in their migrations to the north, those with pigment mutation (a kind of Albinism)were more likely able to go further to the north and settle places totally impossible for people without this mutation.

So Yes, clear eyes, blond hair, pale skin is a mutation and is not beneficial at all in warm and sunny places, because they don't have natural protection and need a lot of blockers to avoid the penetration of UV rays and then cancer.

Agree on why does it always have to be classified as being albino or have a disease for persons with darker color/race to have either blonde hair and/or blueish colored eyes. So I'm just going to leave with this comment. IT IS NOT A DISEASE TO HAVE BLONDE HAIR OR BLUE EYES!!!!!!!!!!

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